Cement-working machinery.



O. M. EBERLING. CEMENT WORKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED IEB.6, 1913.

1,106,089, Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

5 SHEETSSHEET 1.

XL/E5555 Ea /0 [MM 'I'HE NDkR/S PETERS CO. PHUlU-LITHU. WASHINGTON, Dv C G. M. BBBRLING.

CEMENT WORKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6,1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jmr nfm'- mm L G. M. EBERLING.

CEMENT WORKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.6,19X3.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

5 SIIEIITS'SHEET 3.

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1HE NORRIS PETERS Ca. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D C.

G. M. EBERLING.

CEMENT WORKING MACHINERY.

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C. M. EBERLING.

CEMENT WORKING MACHINERY.

APPLIGATION mum rm. 0, 1913.

1,106,089. Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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jig/5 CHARLES M. EBERLING, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CEMENT-WORKING MACHINERY.

Specification of Letters Iatcnt.

Patented Au". 4., 1914.

Application filed February 6, 1913. Serial No. 746,436.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. EBERLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in CenientWVoI-lo ing ll lachinery, of which the follmving is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cement working machines, and particularly to machines for making hollow concrete blocks or tiles.

The objects of the invention are the provision of a machine of this character of simpler and more rugged construction than prior machines; the provision of a machine of this character which shall. be automatic in the highest possible degree; the provision of a machine of this character which shall serve to produce tiles or blocks of uniform shape and size and in which the surfaces shall be clean and smooth and free from adherent material; the provision of a machine whereby blocks of irregular shape and uneven surfaces can be produced; the provision of a machine which can be readily adjusted for the production of blocks or tiles of different sizes and shapes; while further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

More specifically the present invention contemplates the improvement of the device shown in my prior co-pending application filed March 11, 1912, Serial No. 682,839 in matters of detail relating to the strength, simplicity, reliability, cheapness, and speed of operation of the mechanism, while preserving all of the essential features of the earlier device.

Generally speaking, my invention consists of the constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts recited in the claims hereto annexed and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, wherein: Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved machine, a portion of the same being broken away for purposes of disclosure; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the complete machine, a part of the tile-forming device being shown in cross scction; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the complete machine; Fig. 4 a longitudinal central cross-sect1onal view taken through the center of a slightly modified machine and.

showing the parts in a position other than that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive; Fig. 5 is a. transverse cross-sectional view taken upon the .liue 5 5 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. (i is a similar cross-sectional view taken upon the line U-6 of Fig. l and looking in the direction of the arrows; .Fig. 7 is a detail crosssectional view illustrating the pallet feed device; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken upon the line S 8 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view corresponding to the line 9--) of Fig. l, but showing the knives and plunger-s in advanced position; Fig. 10..

is a perspective view of a completed cement block or tile as formed by the machine when adjusted according to Figs. 1 to 25 inclusive; Fig. .11 is a perspective view of the complete tile as produced with the arrangement of parts illustrated in Figs. l and 9; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a pallet and a set of completed tile as delivered by the machine; and Fig. 13 is a detail view showing the plunger cleaning device.

Describing the parts by reference characters, my improved machine comprises a supporting frame 1 mounted in any suitable manner as by legs 2-42, and having a substantially horizontal top. preferaldy of oblong rectangular shape and its upper side is traversed, at a point inter mediate between its ends, by a pair of spaced parallel guide bars 3-3 supported thereon in any suitable or convenient manner, as by beingboltedtothebridges-l-- t. larried by the frame 1 between these guide bars is the transverse plate :iwhercby the pallets and tiles are supported during their passage through the machine, and at each end of the frame a slideway (i6 is formed whose axis is parallel to the length of the frame and consequently perpendicular to that of the plate 5.

Thus far the construction of my improved machine is substantially like that disclosed and claimed in my prior application hereinbefore mentioned. In that application, how ever, I illustrated an intermittently operated endless chain arrangement for advancing the pallets through the machine, and a system of intermittent gears constituting a kind of Geneva movement for effecting the operation of the chain and of the various tilefornnng devices. The present inventionis a This frame is 9 iii great improvement over the prior device in the point of cheapness, simplicity, and strength, and in reliability of operation.

Mounted for reciprocation in the slideways 6-(3 at one end of the machine is a slide '7 whose forward end has an attaching portion 8 and whose bottom face is pro vided with a horizontal rack 9. Journaled in the frame 1 beneath this slide is a transverse horizontal shaft 10 having a pinion 11 meshing with the rack 9, and also provided with a second pinion 12 whereby it may be turned. Mounted for reciprocation in the opposite slideways is a. similar slide 15 having at its forward end an. attaching portion 16 and having secured to its lower face a horizontal rack 17. With the rack 17 meshes a pinion 18 secured to a sleeve 19 to the end of which sleeve outside of the frame 1, is secured a pinion 20. The sleeve 19 is journaled in the side members of the frame l1 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Rotatably mounted inside of this sleeve 19 is a shaft 21. having a pinion 22 secured to its forward end immediately adjacent to the pinion 20 and having a crank 23 secured to its rearward end as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Slidably mounted in suitable guideways 24 secured to the rearward side of the machine frame is a rack 25 having teeth meshing with the pinion 12 and also having 'a connecting rod 26 articulated t0 the crank 23. Likewise secured to the forward face of the machine frame is a guideway 27 in which is mounted a rack 28 meshing with the pinion 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Rigidly secured to the forward face of the rack 28 is another rack bar 29 provided adjacent to one end with teeth 30 adapted to mesh with the teeth of the pinion 22 but having the opposite end thereof devoid of teeth, as shown at 31 in Fig. 1.

J ournaled in the frame 1 at right angles to the various racks is a main shaft 35 having secured to its forward end a gear wheel 36 having a suitable wrist pin 37 to which is articulated the connecting rod 38 the opposite end of which is pivoted to the rack 29. The gear wheel 36 may be driven in any convenient manner as by the pinion 39 and belt pulley 4:0. The rotation of the gear wheel 36 will reciprocate the racks 28 and 29, thus imparting an oscillatory movement to the pinions 20 and 22, reciprocating the slides 7 and 15 toward and from the plate 5. The rack 28 being provided with teeth from end to end thereof, the to and fro movement of the pinion 20 will be continuous as long as the gear 36 is rotated, but the toothless character of a large part of the rack 29 will cause the pinion 22 to pause or stand still during a considerable part of the operation of the machine. In order to retain this pinion in its proper position so that the same can be picked up by the teeth of the rack, I provide the face thereof with a pair of spaced gudgeon pins 41%1 having rollers 12, and to the face of the rack bar 29 I secure a metal bar 43 having its upper edge parallel to the rack and spaced thereabove a suflicient distance to cause it to engage the rollers 12-t2 as shown in Fig. 2, and retain the pinion 22 in a position such that the teeth thereof shall mesh properly with the teeth of the rack upon the movement of the rack in the opposite direction. The end of the bar 42 is preferably beveled away as at $1- so as to wedge outwardly the roller which last reaches the same with the result that the teeth of the pinion may drop squarely into the space between adjacent teeth on the rack and jamming will be positively prevented. The crank 23 is secured to the shaft 21 in such wise as to be substantially horizontal during the time that the rollers 4-2 are in engagement with the bar 43, for a purpose to be explained hereafter.

Secured t0 the forward face of the supporting portion 8, and projecting forwardly parallel to such other and to the central line of the machine, are a plurality of spaced elongated knives 50-50 which project through suit-able slots or apertures formed in the guide bar 3 adjacent thereto. Also secured to the upper edge of the portion 8 is a cover plate 51 which is also preferably secured to the upper edges of the knives by suitable bolts as shown. The forward edge of this cover plate is preferably extended beyond the knives as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so as to overlap the opposite guide bar 3 when in advanced position and thus pass beneath rollers 52 suitably supported above this guide bar whereby the cover plate is prevented from being lifted by pressure applied. therebeneath. Likewise rollers 53 are preferably provided for engaging the extremities of the outermost knives 50-50 to prevent the spreading of the same by pres sure inside the mold space. The lower edges of the knives 50-50 are spaced above the top of the plate 5 a sufiicient distance to permit the introduction of a pallet therebetween, the thickness of the pallet being such as to cause it to pass closely beneath the edges of the knives.

Secured to the forward face of the attaching portion 16 and extending forwardly in parallel relation are a plurality of plungers 55 arranged intermediately of the knives 5050 and projecting through suitable apertures in the guide bars 3 and 3. It will be noted that while only the guide bar 3 nearest to the slide 7 is slotted or apertured for the passage of the knives 50-50, both of the guide bars are apertured for the passage of the plungers since the latter are of greater length than the knives. The forward ends of the plungers are tapered as at 56, such taper being preferably confined chiefly to the upper forward face of the plunger, for a purpose to be hereinafter de scribed.

Between each pair of knives the guide bar 3 is formed with a plurality of horizontal apertures in which are slidably mounted rods 57 to the forward ends of which are secured headers 58, the same consisting of metal plates substantially filling the space between adjacent knives and having central apertures 59 adapted to receive snugly the ends of the plunger-s 55 (see Fig. 9). The upper edges of these headers are arranged to lie snugly adjacent to the lower face of the cover plate 51, while the bottom edges thereof are substantially flush with the lower edges of the knives 50-430 so as to pass closely over the tops of the pallets introduced therebeneath. The forward faces of these headers form the ends of the mass-receiving spaces or molds and may either be plain or irregular in surface depending upon the character of block desired. In Figs. 1 to S inclusive I have illustrated these headers as made with plane faces, while in Fig. 4 I have illustrated the use of headers of a. different configuration.

At the opposite side of the guide bar 3, each group of rods 57 is secured to a pair of spaced plates 6060 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 1. Journaled transversely of the machine frame beneath these plates is a rock shaft 01 having an upwardly extending finger 62 for each pair of plates 6060 said rock shaft also having an arm 63 pro vided at its end with a roller 64: engaging a cam 65 carried by the shaft 35 whereby the fingers are moved backward and forward at proper times. The upper end of each of the fingers is bifurcated for the reception of a roller 66 for engagement with the plates, while the outer end of the arm 63 is provided with a counter-weight (37 whereby the headers are retracted 'after having been advanced by the cam 65.

The guide bar 3 is formed with apertures similar to those in the guide bar 3 and likewise receiving longitudinally movable rods 57 provided at their forward ends with headers 58 exactly like the headers 58, and having their opposite ends secured to a common plate 68 whereby they may be moved in unison. Reference to Fig. 1 will show that the headers 58 are separated exactly like the headers 58 so as to permit the knives to be inserted therebetween. The headers :38 are, however, advanced by the direct engagement of the attaching portion 16 with the plate 68, while their retraction is effected by rods 69 rigidly secured to the plate 68 and passing only through the portion 16, the extreme ends of the rods being provided with stops 70, adapted to be engaged by the rear face of the portion 16 when the slide 15 is fully retraced, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to carry the plate 68 and headers 58 therewith. The portion 16 is preferably counterbored on its forward face immediately surrounding each of the rods 69-(i9 and each rod surrounded at this point with a spiral spring 71, the object of which will be explained hereafter, while a stop device 72 (here shown as an enlarged head upon each of the rods (59) is located between the plate (58 and guide bar 3, so as absolutely to limit the forward movement of the headers to the point to which they are forced by the supporting portion 16.

Secured to the rear side of the machine frame is a bracket 7-l having at its upper side a flat horizontal feeding plate 75, the upper surface whereof is substantially flush with that of the plate 5. The upper face of the plate 75 is formed with a transverse groove 76 registering with a similar groove in plate 5, and slidably mounted in the guideway so formed is a reciprocable bar 77 having at its rearward end an upright arm 78 to the upper end of which is adj ustably secured a pusher 79 whereby pallets may be advanced through the machine. Journaled in the sides of the bracket 74 is a horizontal shaft 80 having thereon a pinion S1 meshing with a rack 82 secured to the bar 78 and projecting downwardly through a suitable slot in the plate 75. The outer end of the shaft 80 is provided with a beveled pinion S3 meshing with asegmental gear 84 pivoted to a bracket 85, said gear being also formed with a lever arm 86 terminatingin a finger 87 which engages the cam groove 88 in the face of the cylindrical wheel 89 secured to the shaft 35. This cam groove is so formed as to oscillate the segmental gear 84: once for each revolution of the shaft 35, rotating the pinion S1 and ad- *ancing the rod 77 so as to thrust a new pallet into the machine.

Mounted above and parallel to the plate 75 is a rectangular frame 90 in which is reciprocably mounted a flat plate 91 whose lower edge is preferably substantially flush with the lower face of the cover plate 51 as illustrated .in Figs. 5 and 6. Supported above this plate 91 is a funnel or plasticmass-receptacle 92, the same preferably flaring toward the bottom as. illustrated and having a cross sectional area not less than that of the pallet which is to be employed therewith. The edges of the plate 91 are secured to rails 93 which project beyond the plate a considerable distance in the direction of the end of the machine having the slide 15. The ends of these rails are connected by means of a yoke 9 f to which is secured a rod 95. A. bracket 96 projecting from the slide 15 surrounds this rod, and the rod is provided with stops 97 and 98 adapted to he engaged by the bracket 96 whereby the rod will be reciprocated with a considerable degree of lost motion. This arrangement causes the plate 91 to be drawn into and out of alinement with the hopper 92 so as alternately to close and open the passage therethrough.

The operation and adjustment of the ma chine so far described is as follows :--Tl1e peak of the cam groove 88 is arranged substantially 180 from the wrist pin 37 as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, while the'position of the crank 23 is substantially parallel to the gudgeon pins 41-1 11, as heretofore explained. Considering the terms right and left as referring to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 and assuming the various parts to be in the positions illustrated in Fig. l, we will assume the hopper or recep tacle 92 to be filled with plastic cement and the gear wheel 36 to be rotated in a counterclockwise direction by means of power applied. to the belt pulley 40. The wrist pin 37 already being at the extreme left hand limit of its movement, and the plungers 5555 being already at their point of ex treme advancement, the motion of the wheel 36 will cause a movement of the racks 28 and 29 from left to right, rotating the pinion 20 and consequently the pinion 1S and retracting the slide 15 together with the plungers 55-55. This movement of the slide causes the portion 16 to slide along the rods 69-69 and the bracket 96 to slide along the rod 95 Without moving the same; the pinion 22 and all parts driven thereby remain quiet because locked by the bar 43. As soon, however, as the rack 29 has moved sufficiently far, the teeth thereon engage the teeth of the pinion 22 and rotate the same so as to swing the crank 23 upwardly and retract the rack 25, thereby rotating the pinion 12 together with its associated pinion 11, and retracting the slide 7 and knives 50--50. During the retracting movement of the slide 15, the bracket 96 picks up the stop 97 and draws the plate 91 to closed position thereby cutting off the passage between the receptacle 92 and the pallet which rests on the plate 7 5 below the same. In addition, at the very end of its retracting movement, the portion 16 engages the stops and moves the rods 69 longitudinally so as to retract the headers 58 through a short distance. Simultaneously with the retraction of the headers 58, the cam 65 carried by the shaft 35 rocks the arm 63 so as to retract the headers 58. Accordingly the knives 50, plungers 55, headers 58, and headers 58 are all retracted at the same time, and this re traction takes place at the moment when the Wrist pin 37 is passing the line of centers. At this moment the ratio of the longitudinal movement of the knives and plungers to the angular motion of the shaft 35 is at a minimum and it is at this moment that the segmental gear 84 is rocked by the angularity of the cam groove so as to rotate the pinion 81 and advance the pusher 79, thus carrying a new pallet full of plastic cement into the space between the guide bars 3, 3 and ejecting from such space any preceding pallet which may have been there. The pusher 7 9 is retracted immediately so as to receive another pallet which may be inserted either manually or by the automatic means hereafter described. The slowness of the movement of the knives and plungers at this point, therefore, operates much the same as a mechanical pause in the operation of the machine affording time for the insertion of a new pallet.

Reference to Fig. 4; will show that the plungers have been retracteda considerably greater distance that the knives, wherefore the continued rotation of the gear wheel 36 causes the knives to be advanced across the pallet and to segregate the plastic mass thereon into a plurality of units prior to the advance of the plungers into that mass. The relation between the pinions 20 and 22 is such that although the plungers and knives start from their positions of greatest retraction substantially simultaneously, the knives reach a position of complete advancement prior to the entrance of the plungers into the material segregated by those knives, and by the time the plungers actually do enter such material, the pinion 22 will have left the teeth of the rack 21 and will be locked against rotation, while the crank 23 will be turned to a position on the line of centers so that any pressure exerted upon the knives tending to force the same backwardly will be opposed with a minimum of strain upon the mechanism. Furthermore. the cover plate 61 will have been moved into engagement with the rollers 52 and the outer knives with the rollers 53 whereby all strain or dis tortion of the parts will be prevented. The continued rotation of the gear 36 causes the further advance of the plungers 5555, which now displace the material in the molds toward the walls in every direction, solidifying and packing the same into all the corners thereof. The major part of the material in the molds displaced by the plungers is thus compacted, but if, for any reason such as the too great fluidity of the plastic mass, the pallet should prove to be too full of cement, the excess will be pushed forwardly by the plungers through the aper tures in the headers 58 and so ejected from the molds. This arrangement provides a kind of safety valve whereby the occurrence of too high pressure in the mold spaces is prevented, the pressure at which this ejection of material takes place being determined by the taper or slope of the plunger heads, an abrupt slope causing an earlier ejection of material. As the wrist pin 37 plungers.

reaches the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plungers reach their position of greatest advancement, and simultaneously the headers 58 and 58 are advanced, the one by the cam 65 and the arm 63 and the others by the advance of the portion 16. This action therefore serves to place a very great pres sure upon the material in the mold spaces whereby the cement is compacted into a very stiff and uniform block or tile, and this greatest pressure is applied at the moment the crank pin 37 passes the line of centers, wherefore the compressing operation is effected with a minimum of strain upon the mechanism.

During the advancing movement of the portion 10, the springs 71 were compressed against the rearward side of the plate 68. As the portion 16 is retracted by the con tinued movement of the wheel 30, these springs assert themselves by tending to hold the plate 08 in its advanced position and thus to prevent the retraction of the headers by the pressure of the tile against their faces. The adhesion between the cement and the surfaces of the plunger-s 05, while small in case the plungers be kept properly moistened as they will be when the machine running at the proper rate, is sullicient to cause breaking and crumbling of the end of the tile unless the headers be held in forward position until the plungers have been holding of the headers 58 is effected by the springs 71. j

The continued movement of the wheel 36 will retract the knives 50-50 as before, whereupon the stops 7E272 will come into play. It is found in practice that the forward movement of the knives causes some of the cement to be pushed into the slots between the headers 58-58 so that the knives become very powerfully wedged therein. Accordingly unless particular means he employed to prevent the further advancing movement of the headers 5858*, the knives themselves will drag them farther across the pallet, thus injuring the fragile, newly formed tile. This movement is however prevented by the stops 72.

It will also be noted that upon the forward movement of the plunger-s 55-55, the plate 91 was displaced from the hopper by the engagement of the bracket 96 with the stop 98 so that a new charge of plastic material has been delivered to the succeeding pallet, and has hen segregated from the mass in the hopper by the closing of the plate 91 upon the opposite movement of the Accordingly upon the complete withdrawal of the plunger s and knives and the retraction of the headers 58 and 58, this new pallet is advanced into operative position, while the pallet containing the newly formed tiles is ejected from the machine and may be received upon a suitable plate or apron not. shown. Such a pallet of newly formed tiles is illustrated in Fig. 1.2, where in it will be seen that the pallet consists of a base board 100 having end pieces 101 of a height not less and not materially greater than the height of the blocks or tiles, the, distance between the end pieces 101 being such that the terminal knives of the series pass just within the same so that the pressure upon the material is supported by the knives and that the terminal blocks or tiles are spaced from the end pieces for the sake of more rapid drying. The bottoms of the pallets are preferably made with cleats or runners 102 for the more easy operation of the same, while the end blocks 101 permit the pallets to be piled one upon the other if desired without danger of crushing or damaging the tiles thereon. ieferencc has already been made to the fact that the inclined end 50 of each plunger, taken in connection with the aperture in the header, forms a kind of safety valve for the escape of superfluous cement. Not all of the cement so ejected falls of its own accord from the end of the plunger, but will unless proper measures are taken, be carried back into the tile where it will be deposited more or less filling the perforation made in the tile and impeding the drying thereof. A great many expedients may be employed for this purpose, the simplest which occurs to me consisting of a spring wire loop 105 shaped so as to substantially conform to the end of the plunger (see Figs. 4, E), and 13) and having extended resilient arms 106 )rojecting through the apertures in the guide bar 3 and secured in the plate 00. Finally for the purpose of feeding the pallets automatically to the machine, I have devised the following mechanism: Mounted above the plate 7 5 and slidable in a horizontal direction thereover is a pusher 110. This pusher may take any form desired, and is here shown as comprising a hollow metallic block havin a substantially flat top and an upright forward edge and is attached by suitable link means 111. to the end of an alsobe secured to this lever if desired, and y the action of this spring may be supplemented, if necessary, by suitable engaging fingers (not shown) carried by the arm "drawn.

pivot and the wheel hub so that the arm.

will positively be returned to its outward position. The various parts are arranged so that the movement of the pusher 110 is transverse to that of the pusher 79, and the projection 115 is so located relatively to the inclined portion of the cam groove 88 as to cause the advance of the pusher 110 just prior to the swinging of the lever 86, thus advancing a new pallet into the path of the pusher 79 in time to be advanced thereby beneath the receptacle For delivering pallets to the pusher 110 I employ a suitable magazine wherein the pallets may be piled at will the magazine herein shown consisting of four quadrilaterally-arranged upright angle-irons 120 mounted above the plate 75 and immediately forward of the pusher 110,v (see Fig. and adapted to receive the superposed pallets, as shown in Figs. 5 and (5. Dogs 121 may be employed for timing the descent of the pallets into this magazine, a suitable tripper 122 actuated for example by the projection 123 carried by the exterior of the wheel 89 being employed for releasing these dogs after the retraction of the pusher 110 so as to permit an empty pallet to descend in front of said pusher ready to be delivered to the pusher 79 at the proper moment.

Briefly reviewing it will be seen that the order of operation upon each pallet is as follows :-1. Delivery of pallet from dogs 12]. to pusher 110. 2. Delivery of allet by pusher 110 to pusher 79. 3. Delivery of pallet by pusher 79 to the hopper or recep tacle '92. at. The slide 91 is drawn permitting this pallet to become charged with ce inent. The slide is closed segregating the cement within the pallet from that in the receptacle. 6. The pallet is advanced to working position by the thrust of a succeeding pallet. 7. The top of the pallet is covered 'by the cover plate and the material "segregated by the knives. S. The plungers are forced through the material between each pair of knives. 9. The headers are advanced against the end of the material upon the pallet. 10. The plungers are with- 11. The knives are withdrawn. 12. The headers are withdrawn. 13. The pallet with its completed blocks is ejected from the machine.

Hitherto it has been assumed that each of the knives 5050 was of the full height of the mold space, and separated completely the material in successive mold spaces. These knives are, however, removable so that they may be replaced by knives of less width as indicated at 50 in Fig. 9, thus making a tile of double width as shown in Fig. If the knife were entirely removed, would be found that the cement would be broken downby the withdrawal of the two adjacent plungers in the same direction, whereas if these plungers are separated by the comparatively narrow knife 50*, the cement is suliiciently supported so that instead of being torn asunder, it is smoothed and troweled. After the removal of the plungers, the narrow knife is withdrawn with comparative ease. in this aspect, the narrow knife becomes merely another plunger, but with the difference that it is advanced into and withdrawn from the plastic mass at the opposite side of the mold from the other plungers and is advanced before and withdrawn later than the other plungers. Whatever its form may be, it serves to stiffen and support the cement mass and prevent it from being torn asundcr by the action of the other lungers. To define this condition I have in some cases referred to these knives and plungers as piercing elements. Finally, the longitudinal movement of the headers 58 and 58 renders it possible to form the same with irregular or broken surfaces without at the same time impeding the discharge of the tiles from the machine. in Fig. 11, l have shown one expedient which may be employed, the ends or a double tile being made of somewhat broken and irregular character so as to fit within similar irregularities of the adjacent tile and lock the whole structure together. innumerable applications of this ability will occur to those skilled in the art.

l/Vhile I have described in considerable detail, a complete and complicated machine, it will be apparent that many features of the machine may be employed separately or in conjunction with other constructions, and the benefits and advantages of my invention obtained to some degree. Likewise it will be obvious that many changes can be made in the details of construction, combination, and arrangements herein disclosed without departing from my inventive idea or sacrificing any of the benefits of my invention. Accordingly, while. I have described my in-- vention in detail, I do not propose to be limited to such details except as the same may be positively included in the claims hereto annexed or may be rendered neces sary by the prior state of the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In cement working machinery, the combination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inclosing means having movable ends and said ends being provided with openings to allow knives and plungers to enter the material therein, of a series of partition forming knives arranged in line with such knife openings, a series of plungers arranged in line with such plunger openings, said knives and plungers being mounted for independent actuation, means for reciprocating said knives and plungers successively so as to cause them to enter the material inclosed in said means and be withdrawn from the same, means for advancing said movable ends after the knives and plunger-s have entered the material and prior to their withdrawal. therefrom, and means for maintaining said movable ends in advanced position until after the withdrawal of said plungers and knives. I

2. In cement working machinery, the combination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inelosin means having movable ends and said ends being provided with openings to allow knives and plungers to enter the material therein, of a series of partition forming knives arranged in line with such knife openings, a series of plungers arranged in line with such plunger openings, said knives and plungers being mounted for independent actuation, means for reciprocating said knives and. plungers so as to cause them first to enter the material inclosed in said means and then be withdrawn therefrom, means for advancing said movable ends after the knives and plan gel-s have entered the material. and prior to their withdrawal therefrom, means for maintainingsaid movable ends in advanced position until after the withdrawal of said knives and plungers, and means for limiting the advancing movement of said ends.

3. In cement working machinery, the com bination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material and a reciprocable plunger adapted to be advanced through the material so inclosed, of means "for removing plastic material adhering to the end of said plunger prior to the retraction of the same.

4. In cement working machinery, the com bination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic eementitious material, and a reciprocable plunger adapted to be advanced through the material so inclosed, the plunger having a tapered for ward end, of means for reciprocating said plunger into and out of the mass so inclcsed, and means for removing from the tapered end thereof any cementitious material which may adhere thereto prior to the withdrawing movementof said plunger.

5. In cement working machinery, the combination, with means for suy'iporting and in closing a mass of plastic cementitiousmaterial, said inclosing means having apertures therein, of partition-forming knives mounted in line with alternate apertures, means for reciprocating said knives to cause them to advance into said material and then be withdrawn therefrom, certain of said knives having the full width of said inclosing space so as to divide the material completely into separate tile forming sections, and other knives being of less width than said space so as merely to form apertures in said material, plungers mounted in line with the remaining apertures, said plungers and knives being arranged for movement in the same plane but supported for independent actualion, means for reciprocating said plungers so as to pierce such material and then be withdrawn therefrom, said kni'le reciproeating means being formed to provide a dwell between the advancing and withdrawing movements of the same, and said plunger recipro :ating means being arranged to operate during such period of dwell.

6. In cement working imichinery,the combination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inelosing means having apertures therein, of partition-forming knives mounted in line with alternate apertures, means for reciprocating said knives to cause them to enter said material and then be withdrawn therefrom, certain of said knives be ing interchangeably of wide or narrow formation, the wide knives having the full width of the inclosing space so as to divide the material completely into separate tiletorming sections, and the narrow knives bcing of less width than said space so as merely to support the plastic mixture be tween adjacent ilungers but without completely severing the material, plungers mounted in line with the remaining apertures and supported for actuation independently of said knives, there being one plunger between each two adjacent knives and supported in the same plane as those knives, and means for reciprocating said plunger-s so as to pierce the plastic material and then be withdrawn therefrom, said knife reciprocating means being arranged to provide a dwell between the advancing and withdrawing movements of the same and said plunger reciprocating means being arranged to operate during such period of dwell.

7 In a tile making machine, the combination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inclosing means having an opening at each end, of a plunger having a tapered end mounted in line with said opening and movable toward and from the same, means for reciprocating said plunger so as to cause the same to pass through the material and compact the same against the side of said supporting and inclosing means, the openings :larther from said plunger being arranged to permit the ejection of material in front of said plunger after a predetermined amount of pressure has been attained, and means for removing plastic material adhering to the end of said plunger prior to the retraction of the same.

8. In cement working machinery, the oombination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inclosing means including a pair of oppositely-disposed apertured walls, of a set of piercing elements mounted outside of each of said walls and arranged to be adanced through the apertures thereof into the plastic material therewithin, each set of piercing elements being actuable independently of the other set and the elements of each set being arranged so that when advanced they will lie between the adjacent elements of the other set, some of the piercing elements in each set being of less width than the mold space so as to form apertures in the material without entirely dividing same and all of said piercing elements being mounted in substantially the same plane, and mechanism for reciprocating each set of piercing elements to cause those elements to be advanced into the plastic material and then be withdrawn therefrom, the reciprocating mechanism for one set being arranged to provide a dwell between the advancing and withdrawing movements thereof and the reciprocating mechanism for the other set being arranged to operate during such period of dwell.

9. In cement working machinery, the combination, with means for supporting and inclosing a mass of plastic cementitious material, said inclosing means including a pair of oppositely disposed apertured walls arranged to be moved toward and from each other, of a set of piercing elements mounted outside of each of said walls and arranged to be advanced through the apertures thereof into the plastic material therewith in, the piercing elements at one side of said means being actuable independently of those at the other side and alternating with. those at the other side, all of said piercing elements being mounted in the same plane, mechanism for reciprocating each set of piercing elements so as to advance same into the plastic material and then withdraw same, the reciprocating mechanism for one set being arranged to provide a dwell between the advancing and withdrawing movements thereof and the reciprocating mechanism for the other set being arranged to operate during such period of dwell, means for advancing said walls during the time that both sets of piercing elements are in advanced position, means for maintaining said walls in advanced position during the withdrawal of said piercing elements, and means for finally retracting said walls to permit the ejection of the finished blocks or tiles.

10. In a tile forming machine, in combination, a pair of movable apertured walls, means for supporting a pallet between said walls, a series of knives arranged in line with certain of said apertures, a series of plungers arranged in line with other of said apertures, said knives and plungers being mounted for independent actuation, means for reciprocating said knives and plungers so as to cause them to enter their respective apertures and traverse the pallet between said walls, and means for reciprocating said walls so as to cause them to approach and recede from each other, said plunger reciprocating means being arranged to institute a forward movement of the plun ers only after the forward movement of the lmives has become substantially completed, said wall reciprocating means being arranged to institute the forward movement of those walls only after the forward movement of said plungers has been substantially complcted and to positively hold said walls against retraction until the retractive movement of the knives and plungers has proceeded sufficiently far to free the same from adhesion to the plastic material, said various reciprocating means being arranged to cause a retraction, first of said plungers, next of said knives, and finally of said walls. In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. EBERLING. W'itnesses:

EUGENE QUIGLEY, HAROLD E. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

